


Staying Healthy for Dummies

by TWFKA3I



Series: Family For Dummies [2]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Family Feels, Gen, Sick Character, Sickfic, fluff kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-29
Updated: 2018-05-29
Packaged: 2019-05-15 09:31:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14787936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TWFKA3I/pseuds/TWFKA3I
Summary: Human superheroes definitely get the sniffles.





	Staying Healthy for Dummies

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ceruleansmile](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ceruleansmile/gifts).



Tony Stark did not take sick days.

Yes he had what felt like the mother of all colds, a burning throat, and a pounding head, but it was a day that ended in y and so Tony Stark was in his workshop. He was initially working on the microcircuitry for Natasha’s Widows Bites, but after a cough had ruined all his careful work, he put those away and started instead working on the blueprints for Peter’s suit upgrade.  After all, holograms didn’t disintegrate when he sneezed on them.

He absentmindedly searched for his coffee cup with one hand while the other expanded the section of the suit he was looking at. Maybe if he could modify the waterproofing on the Mark XII and work it into the fabric of the Spider-Man suit-

His wandering hand found the mug and brought it to his lips. Tony frowned as he realized the mug was empty.

"Sir?"

“Yes?” He replied absently still focused on the problem of the empty coffee cup.

"Sir, you said to alert you when Spider-Man was coming by. He is on his way here and will arrive in 2 minutes."

"Gotcha. Will you put more coffee on, FRIDAY?"

“Of course, Sir.” 

Tony diverted all his attention diverted back to the Spider-Man suit designs, still thinking about the best method to waterproof and insulate without adding excess weight and volume to the suit. Maybe if he tinkered the with materials for Clint’s bow, he could repurpose them into-

“Sir?”

“Yes?”

-a flexible coating for the outside of the suit, thus waterproofing it without inhibiting the kid’s movement-

“Spider-Man will arrive in 30 seconds.”

“Sure.”

-but he’d have to figure out the insulating properties-

“Wait, what? FRIDAY, what did you just say?”

“Spider-Man will arrive in 30 seconds, though now it is 15 seconds.”

“Dammit why didn’t you tell me earlier!”

Tony quickly saved the blueprints he was working on and started hunting down his shirt. He was sure it was here somewhere-

“I did, Sir. He has just landed on the Helipad and will be in the penthouse shortly.”

“Aha!” 

He found his discarded t shirt. It was slightly oil stained but he pulled it on anyway after a quick sniff to make sure it didn’t smell any worse than the workshop did.

“Spider-Man wishes you to know he’s waiting in the penthouse, but, and I quote “No need to bother him if he’s busy though I can just wait here it’s fine.”

“Tell him I’m coming up. FRIDAY, elevator.”

“Of course, Sir.”

 

"Hey, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man! Good of you to swing by!"

"Yeah, you said to swing by when I was better, and hey I'm better, so here I am!"

“Nice to see you back on your feet kid.”

As happy as Tony was to see Peter, he was making a beeline for the coffee machine while he talked with Tony. Before he could get there though, his body was wracked with coughs that ended up with him doubled over and trying to catch his breath.

"Uh, are you alright Mr. Stark?"

"Of course I am, what are you talking about?"

Tony had made it to his coffee and gulped half of it down in one go, and cradled the mug to his chest as if it were his last friend in the world.

“You don’t look too good, Mr. Stark.”

“I’m fine, I’m fine.”

He clapped Peter on the back.

“Alright kid, let’s go. Let’s do some internshipping!”

Peter followed him back into the elevator and down to the workshop. He was still worried, but it was hard to keep that at the forefront of his mind when Tony unveiled the prototype of the new web slingers.

“Alright son, let’s do this!”

“Wait, what?”

“I said let’s do this.” 

 

The two of them got down to work , and Peter managed to ignore Tony’s occasional coughs and sniffles in the joy of engineering and prototyping. Tony turned to swallow some pills, but he coughed, the pills went down the wrong way, and he coughed long enough and hard enough that Peter dropped his tools and rushed to Tony’s side.

“Mr. Stark, Mr. Stark.”

Tony waved him off in the middle of his coughing fit.

“I’m okay, kid. I’m fine.”

“Mr. Stark, no you’re not. I’m sorry, but no you’re not.”

Tony tried to deny it, but he was wracked with yet another set of coughs.

“Okay, hold on, uh. Shit-”

“Language!”

“Sorry! Uh, FRIDAY!”

“Yes?”

“Will you call Aunt May, please? Tell her I need her to come over. And uh, bring chicken soup. And stuff for sick people. And-”

“Understood Spider-Man.”

“Okay, great. Uh, Mr. Stark, I’m gonna take you upstairs now, okay?”

Peter ducked under Tony’s arm and got him standing, supporting his weight.

“Oy, I can stand boy!”

“Okay, but we’re going upstairs, alright?”

Tony finally conceded.

“FRIDAY, get everything saved and put away please.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Tony and Peter got into the elevator. Peter led Tony to the couch and made sure he lay down.

“Oh, blanket. Okay, I’ll be right back Mr. Stark.”

Peter dashed to a bedroom and rolled up the blanket on the bed. He dragged it back to the living room and covered Tony with it. 

“Thanks, SpiderKid.”

“You’re welcome. Do you need any- oh, pillow!”

Peter ran off again, and came back with the pillow from the bed, and gave it to Tony, then dashed off again and returned with a damp washcloth.

“Kiddo, kiddo, kiddo stay still for a second!”

Peter froze in the middle of the room.

“Calm down, I’ll be fine. I’ll be okay.”

“Okay.”

“Just hand me the washcloth.”

Peter handed it over, and Tony laid it over his forehead, and breathed a sigh of relief.

“There you go, that’s good.”

“Spider-Man,” interrupted FRIDAY, “Mrs. May is nearly here. I’ll be letting her into the building in the next minute.”

“Okay, thank you FRIDAY.”

“Aww come on kid, you set me up with your aunt right when I look like death. How am I supposed to woo her from the couch?”

“Mr. Stark!” 

“It’s so cute that you still go red when I do that, it’s great.”

Peter was saved from further embarrassment by the ‘ding’ of the elevator doors opening and his Aunt May walking in. She was holding three paper bags and her purse and looked like she had run there.

“Aunt May!”

“Hello Peter. Hello Mr. Stark.” They heard her bustling around in the kitchen; cabinets opened and closed, items were put into the fridge, and a pot was put on the stove. A couple minutes later, she appeared besides them holding a mug. 

“Can you sit up, Mr. Stark?”

“I’m not an invalid,” he grumbled as he rearranged himself into a sitting position. She passed him the mug.

“Hey, this isn’t coffee!”

“No, it isn’t coffee. Drink the broth, Stark.”

He drank it with surprisingly minimal amount of fuss. He swallowed the pills she gave him, and stayed quiet when she ordered him to lie back down.

“Come on Peter. Let Mr. Stark have some peace and come help me with this chicken soup.”

Mrs. May set him to chopping carrots while she checked on the roast chicken.

“Do you know how sick he is? I haven’t ever seen him that quiet.”

“Neither have I.” Peter focused on the carrots. “I don’t know what’s wrong with him.”

He passed his aunt the tray of chopped carrots.

Then he said in a quiet voice, “I think I got him sick.”

“What’s that, hun?”

“I think he caught my bug. And he’s fully human. What if it’s way worse for him?”

Peter was flying into full on panic now, even as his aunt came to his side.

“What if he gets really sick? I mean even sicker? What if he dies?” 

“Hey, hey, kiddo calm down.”

Both Peter and May turned to see Tony. He had changed into pajama pants at some point. He looked very tired.

He held out his mug. “Hey May, can you fill this with coffee? There is not nearly enough coffee in my caffeine system right now.”

His comment broke the tension. May relieved him of his cup and filled it with coffee.

“Alright Mr. Stark, but you have to promise to stay in bed this time.”

“Hey, I’ll say whatever it takes to get that mug into my hands.”

May rolled her eyes, but handed the mug over. 

“Alright, now that I’m caffeinated, we gotta talk Spider-Kid.”

There was no response. 

“Spider-Kid?”

Tony turned around, but Peter was gone.

“FRIDAY!”

“Spider-Man is currently about to leave the tower.”

“Tell him to stay there. I’m coming!”

May grabbed hold of Tony’s arm before he ran off.

“Mr. Stark. He’s-”

“I know. It’ll be okay.”

She let him go.

“FRIDAY, take me to the helipad.”

 

Peter was sitting on the concrete, leaning back against the barrier. His mask was off, but he was in the suit.

“Hey Spider Kid.”

Peter scrambled up.

“Oh my god Mr. Stark I’m so sorry I got you sick I shouldn’t have let you sit with me.”

“Calm down, it’s okay.”

“No, it’s not I got you sick.”

“Hey, kid-”

“No, don’t come closer. I might still be contagious! And you’re still sick, you shouldn’t get closer-”

“Take a deep breath.”

“But-”

“No. Pause. Take deep breaths for me, can you do that. Take deep breaths.”

“I’m breathing. Okay. Breathing.”

“Good. Can I come closer?”

“I guess. Yes.”

Tony walked over and sat down on the ground beside Peter. They were just quiet for a while, listening to the sound of the city.

“You understand me getting sick isn’t your fault right? Or your responsibility?”

Peter didn’t respond.

“Hey, you didn’t drag me kicking and screaming into your room. I wanted to be there. I wanted to be there for you.”

“Yeah, but you got sick.”

“That’s the risk I took.” Tony shrugged. “I’ll be okay. I have the best medical care money can buy, and I have a lot of it. I’ll be fine.”

Unfortunately, right at that moment, he was struck by another coughing fit.

“This is my fault.”

“Peter, kid. This isn’t your fault. This is the opposite of your fault. I couldn’t do anything else and I felt helpless and I wanted to be there for you like a father- as a responsible adult figure should.”

“I had Aunt May.”

“I wanted you to have me.”

They lapsed back into silence.

“Hey, Mr. Stark?”

“Yeah?”

“Why’d you say you wanted to be there for me like a father?”

“Because I did. Sorry, I don’t really do attachment halfway, it’s kind of all or nothing. I’m sorry. Again this isn’t your responsibility, completely forget I ever said that. Just, let me be there for you kid. You don’t have to do everything on your own.”

“Yeah, says you.”

“Hey, do as I say, not as I do. You’ve got enough on your plate. You really do.”

Peter seemed to deflate.

“Okay.”

“Come on, I’m too old to be sitting on the concrete outside. Help an old sick man up, will ya?”

Peter laughed and held out his hand to help Tony up. As they walked back into the tower, Peter said,  “So uh, Mr. Stark.”

“Yeah?”

“Can we talk about that father- the father figure thing?”

“Yeah. Yeah, we can.”

  
  
  
  



End file.
